It has received many nicknames over time. It is known, among other titles, as “La Serenissima,” “The City of Masks,” or “The Floating City.” But for me, it is simply “the poetry on water.” We first met last year, on a surprisingly bright November day—and it was love at first sight, though it lasted, unfortunately, only one day. And since Venice deserves much more than that, I returned this year to wander among its bridges, to gather its stories and savor its flavors. And I'm glad I did, for as the saying goes, if it weren't for these experiences, there would be no stories to tell.
Despite the warnings I received from everywhere not to visit Venice at the end of August, I did just that. I didn’t find it any more crowded with tourists than other major and important cities, perhaps because—as the receptionist at my hotel explained—the July-August period in Venice is not considered high season due to the intense heat. Just fine for me! I thought, and I dashed over bridges, across the waters, and through narrow walls and alleys. Of course, from time to time, in key spots at well-known tourist attractions, groups of visitors with flags and guides jolted me from my reverie. However, I found them not overwhelming but rather amusing. It gave me all the more reason to explore the mysterious side streets because Venice is filled with history at every turn, not just in the important places.
Venice was not only a major maritime power for centuries but also a significant commercial and financial powerhouse. The Venetians were skilled traders, adept in the arts of commerce, conquerors, and expansionists (they ruled over islands such as Corfu and Cyprus, among others), which transformed Venice in those times into the richest city in Europe. Grains, silk, spices, salt—with 36,000 explorers and 3,300 ships at sea, Venice was a true empire that you can easily envision when you arrive in St. Mark's Square, for example, and feel small among the imposing Doge's Palace, Campanile, and St. Mark's Basilica.
Art is an integral part of Venice, as it has historically excelled in this regard, housing, during the Renaissance, one of the largest artistic schools alongside Florence and Rome. Its artistic spirit is evident everywhere: in the architecture of the buildings, in the way their interiors are decorated, in the tastes and education of the inhabitants, and in the numerous artistic events that bring the city to life. The famous masked carnival annually revives a long-standing Venetian tradition in a unique festival. The Venice Film Festival gathers film lovers and filmmakers here every late summer, making it the oldest film festival in the world. The Venice Biennale, a prestigious contemporary art exhibition, has been held here since 1895, and it is also home to The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the impressive residence of the renowned art collector, which has been transformed into a small museum housing works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Dalí, Magritte, and Brâncuși.
An ancient art form that has persisted for 900 years, the tradition of gondoliers has been passed down from father to son, becoming a true emblem of Venice over time. In its glory days, Venice boasted up to ten thousand gondolas used as the primary means of transport; today, only four hundred remain, primarily used for tourism. Although the process is no longer as strenuous and strict as it once was, it is still not easy to become a gondolier, and not everyone can do it: physical skills, knowledge of history and geography, and communication are essential; maneuvering a gondola is like a dance that requires knowing specific sequences of steps and being able to reproduce them whenever needed. In nearly a millennium of tradition, only one woman has succeeded in becoming a gondolier, breaking the mold and making history in 2010. Regardless, cheerful and dressed in their customary attire, often humming familiar tunes from “Cantare, volare” to “O, sole mio,” gondoliers compete to show you both the well-known and lesser-known corners of Venice during a water excursion that is, for some, romantic, and for others, kitsch.
But, after all, we are talking about Italy, and beyond all these remnants of history, in Venice, an art is practiced daily—the art of joy in life. The joy of prosecco glasses clinking with *sarde in saor*, the black ink of cuttlefish coloring fresh pasta, the delight of a cold Peroni stuck in the sand of Lido beach, and savoring the best Aperol Spritz (which was invented right here!) along with some street food shared with seagulls by the Grand Canal, under the Rialto Bridge, all in sublime simplicity. It is called “La Serenissima,” and it's easy to understand why: here, one can only feel serene. But for me, Venice will always remain “the poetry on water”—a poem to which I would return continuously.
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